Packer for oil or like wells.



Patented July 4, I899.

No.- 628,2l0.

a. PALM. PAOKEB FOR OIL 0R LIKE WELLS.

(Application filed Apr. 5, 1898.)

(No Modal.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

GEORGE PALM, on BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO w. n. LARKIN,

or SAME PLACE.

PACKERFOR'OIL OR LIKE WELLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,210, dated July 4., 1899. Application filed April 5, 1898. Serial No. 676,507. (No model.)

To all whon it puny concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE PALM, a resi-.

dent of Butler, in the county of Butler and a view of my improved packer lowered into the well in position for packing. Fig- 2 is'a view, partly in section, showing itpacked. Fig. 3 is a view of lower end of easing. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4, Fig. 1.

The object of my invention is to provide what is termed a pressure-packer that is, a packer operating to pack the well by the weight or pressure of the casing itself, in which the wedging device for sustaining the packer against downward movement can be I engage the well-walls, and thereby hold the base of the packer from downward movement and a separate pushing sleeve below the wedging device adapted to engagethe well-' walls and force the wedging device into contact with the well-walls, and thereby set the packer so that it will be expanded by the weight of the tubing.

In the accompanying drawingso designates a section of suitable casing which is encircled by a suitable rubber or like elastic packer Z). In the usual construction for such pressurepackers the elastic packer b is interposed between the collar c, screwed onto the casing above the elastic packer and theconical collar d, which is held from downward movement on the casing by a slight shoulder 8, formed thereon, such collar sliding on the casing, so that the casing can slide through 'art and will be treated broadly as an expansible packer.

Below the conical collar cl are the gripping= arms f,said arms having the wedges f at the upper end thereof. The outer faces of these wedges are preferably roughened to gain a hold'on the walls of the well during the packing operation. The lower ends of the arms f are connected to the ring it, which encircles the casing and is free to move up and down thereon. Other ways of supporting the wedges may, however, be employed. The Whole frame, with its ring h, arms f, and wedges f, thus forms a wedging device which when its wedges engage the well-walls hold thecollars (Z from downward movement and so provide for the expansion 'ofthe rubber body I).

The ring h normally rests on the sleeve 2', which encircles the casing below said ring; but said ring is in no wise secured to said sleeve. The sleeve 1' has the left-hand female thread 76 formed on its inner face, which engages with the male'thread l on the casing. Bowed strips of metal m fit in vertical slots n,formed atintervals in the walls of the sleeve 'i. The lower ends of said strips m fit 'down between a ring 0 on the lower end of the sleeve i and a recess 19 formed in said sleeve, while the upper ends of said strips are secured in the recesses r at the upper ends of said sleeve by means of the screws 4*. At about the mid-point of the strips on are formed the swells or lugs s, which act to engage the walls of the well and assist in holding the sleeve from turning, as will more fully hereinafter appear. Secured to thelowerend of the casi n g is the customary collar or coupling 25.

I do not wish to limit myself to the exact forms or constructions of the parts illustrated, as they maybe varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The operation of packing a well with my improved packer is as follows: The string of easing carrying the packer is lowered into the well until said packer reaches the point in the well to be packed, whereupon the bowed strips m, together with the lugs s, will create sufficient friction with the walls of the well to hold the sleeve 71 from turning, as shown in Fig. 1. In the meantime the ring h has been resting on the sleeve 71 during the descent of the packer, the wedges at the upper ends of the armsf not projecting out far enough to engage the walls of the well and prevent the descent of the packer. When, as stated, the packer has arrived at the proper point'and the sleeve 2' is held from turning, the casing is then turned. During the turning of the casing the weight of same is sustained from the top of the well and is not allowed to rest on the sleeve. The result of the turning of the casing while the sleeve is held from turning is that the sleeve ascends and pushes or forces up the ring h with its arms f. This forces the wedges f up between the conical collar d and the walls of the well, the roughened faces of said wedges acting to bite into the walls of the well and cause a firmer grip. The casing is turned until the wedges have been wedged up between the walls of the well and the conical collar with sufiicient force to resist the weight of the casing. The full weight of the casing is then allowed to rest upon the wedges, whereupon the conical collar d is held stationary by the wedges and the casing descends through the sleeve so as to expand the rubberpacker tight-1y against the walls of the well, as shown in Fig. 2. Upon the lowering of the casing the sleeve 2' will be carried down therewith, leaving a space between the ring it and said sleeve. When the packer is thus set by the wedging of the Wedges f against the well-walls, the weight of the casing will act to force these wedges still more firmly against the wellwalls by means of the conical collard, and so increase the hold of the wedges upon the walls.

In case it is desired to change the position of the packer, either raising the same to a higher position or loweringit, the casing is raised up, when the friction on the wedgesf of the wedging device will hold them, so that the conical sleeve dis drawn up from between such wedges, and the wedging device, with its armsf and ring h, is free to drop down upon the sleeve 2', and by turning the casing this sleeve 2' can be screwed down upon the casing, so that the wedging device is lowered into such position that the wedges are not liable to catch and hold on the well-walls. The packer can then .be raised or lowered as desired, there being no liability of the wedging device engaging with the conical sleeve and holding it until the operator adjusts the packing to the position desired, when by rotating the casing, as above described, he

causes the sleeve i to force up the wedging device until its wedges f are caught and held between the conical sleeve d and the wellwalls, when the same packing operation takes place as above described.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In well-packers, the combination witha packer adapted to be expanded by the weight of the casing, of a wedging device below the packer adapted to engage the well-walls and thereby hold the base of the packer from downward movement, and a separate pushing-sleeve below the wedging device adapted to engage the Well-walls and force the wedging device into contact with the well-walls, substantially as set forth.

2. In well-packers, the combination with the casing, of two collars and an elastic packer interposed between them and adapted to be expanded by the weight of the casing, awedging device below the packer and adapted to engage the well-walls and hold the lower collar, and a separate pushing-sleeve below the wedging device adapted to engage the wellwalls and force the wedging device into contact with the well-Walls, substantially as set forth.

3. In well-packers, the combination with the casing, of an expansible packer thereon, a ring encircling the casing below the packer and wedging-arms extending up from the ring, a separate sleeve below and supporting said ring and adapted to engage the walls of the well, and a threaded connection between said casing and sleeve.

4. In Well-packers, the combination with the casing, of an expansible packer thereon, a ring encircling the casing and wedgingarms extending up from the ring, a sleeve below and supporting said ring, said sleeve having projections thereon adapted to engage the walls of the well, and a threaded connection between said casing and sleeve, substantially as set forth.

5. In well-packers, the combination with the casing, of an elastic packing-body, a movable conical sleeve below the same, a ring encircling the casing, and wed ging-arms extending up from the ring, a sleeve below and supporting said ring, bowed strips on said sleeve adapted to engage the walls of the well and a threaded connection between said sleeve and casing, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said GEORGE PALM, have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE PALM.

Witnesses:

G. A. SCHAFFNER, ROBT. D. TOT'IEN. 

